M.M. Kaye

The scene is teeming Zanzibar just before the American Civil War, when the Isle of Cloves was a center of African slave trade To it comes Hero Athena Hollis, a Boston bluestocking filled with self righteousness and bent on good deeds.Then she meets Rory Frost, a cynical, wicked, shrewd and good hud trader in slaves What is Hero to make of him and of her feelings forThe scene is teeming Zanzibar just before the American Civil War, when the Isle of Cloves was a center of African slave trade To it comes Hero Athena Hollis, a Boston bluestocking filled with self righteousness and bent on good deeds.Then she meets Rory Frost, a cynical, wicked, shrewd and good hud trader in slaves What is Hero to make of him and of her feelings for him Tightly plotted, crammed with detail and irresistibly romantic Cosmopolitan Note M.M Kaye is the author of The Far Pavilions, one of the great stories to emerge from British India.

Recent Comments "Trade Wind"

This review did not want to be written. Some reviews (typically the snarky ones) spring from your brain like Athena, pretty much fully formed; others need to be mulled over for a while you grapple for the right words to explain what the book meant to you. Trade Wind left me so conflicted that I wasn't even certain how to rate this book, much less what to say about it.But because I am strong and invincible and all that, and also because I promised myself I wouldn't pick up another novel until I w [...]

Trade Wind is, bar none, my favorite bookriod.I first read it when I was 16 years old, and now I'm 53. Even after 15+ readings (I've lost count), I still love it. I always hesitate to recommend it to friends, because it's almost like my baby--I don't want people to think it's ugly. It combines beautiful writing with in-depth factual information about the history and island of Zanzibar of the mid-1800's. The plot is well maintained throughout the book. Kaye's writing is both lyrical and strong; p [...]

A journey of ten thousand leagues has to start somewhere, and in this historical epic it starts in the kitchen of a grand mansion from Boston, in or around the middle of the nineteen century, prior to the american Civil War. A small girl with a ridiculously ponderous name, Hero Athena Hollis, has her palm read by an old Irish crone named Biddy jason: She spoke in a hoarse, low sing-song, barely above a whisper: "There's sun in your hand, and wind and salt water. And rain warm rain and an island [...]

This is the story of Hero Athena Hollis, an extremely independent woman of the 19th century, vehemently opposed to slavery and all of society's injustices and determined to use her wealth to stamp them out. After Hero's father dies, she is invited to join her family in Zanzibar where her uncle is serving as the American Counsel. Hero's family always expected that she would marry her aunt's son by a first marriage, even though she is not sure she's in love with him. While on voyage to Zanzibar du [...]

At 553 pages, this isn't a book to read in one sitting; but well worth the read however long it takes. It's probably one of the most unusual books Ive read. By that I mean, nothing is black and white. The protagonists are neither all good or all bad.For example, the heroine, in her attempt to reform the world ends up doing more harm than good; at least at first. She is impetuous, stubborn and naive. But over the course of her experiences in Zanzibar, many of which were unpleasant, she learns a g [...]

Every bit as good the second time round! In fact better, because now I was throughly prepared for how things would go and able to love it anyway. Something I noticed that I hadn't before is that many of the characters that I started out with a dislike for, acquitted themselves by the end. And, while some of them never do or never can (as the case may be), make up for the past for the most part I am happy with how they all "grew", even those who considered themselves well versed in the ways of th [...]

Well, the best part was reading it with some great friends. Now, as for the book.I wavered between two and four stars from one chapter to the next so I’ll go for a final rating of three.On the plus side: the wonderfully evocative descriptions of Zanzibar—beautiful and terrible—and fascinating historical details that seem very well-researched. While none of the main characters were particularly likable all had interesting though not completely believable character arcs. There were some thou [...]

I have been sick for a couple of days, and I really should've been sleeping last night, instead of finishing this book. But, instead, I was finishing this book.I am not even sure where to begin with the writing process here. This book is a mass of contradictions: problematic, beautiful, shocking, deplorable, and incredibly compelling. The characters, even more so, with no one character being all good or all bad, even while they are doing things that are horrifying.This book is about the slave tr [...]

No doubt a lot of people will be able to enjoy this story. I enjoyed it myself for about 300 pages or so. It's adventurous and intriguing, although not as good as The Far Pavilions or Shadow of the Moon. There's just one sticking point that dropped this book down for meThe reason for the one star isn't because of the quality of writing but because of a turn in the plot that made it difficult for me to stomach anything that came before or after it. (view spoiler)[If there's a rapist in a story I [...]

Group read November 2014. Trade Wind is panoramic historical romance, in the style of M.M. Kaye’s others, Shadow of the Moon and Far Pavilions, both of which I read years ago, before and made it possible for me to find more of her books. Trade Wind is still out of print, but I was able to obtain a used paperback copy. Despite the yellowing pages and the cheesy cover, it was easy to sink into this story—it’s vivid, sensory writing, delivering the harsh and sometimes absurd historical real [...]

M.M. Kaye has a beautiful way with words. I finished this book faster than I have ever finished a 551 page book. And yet, I can't quite bring myself to give it five stars. Maybe I can manage a 4 1/2? Just.Batty ( a sailor on Captain Rory's ship ) who was a rogue through and through, was still a likable sort because he had a heart. Clay, I thoroughly disliked as he was a selfish blackard. Whille, Hero ( the heroine ) was a "leap and then look" sort of person. She was full of good ideas, but she d [...]

All the sea is not deep enough to wash away blood relationship. What is written is writtenVisit those you love, though your abode be distant,And clouds and darkness have arisen between youThis is the extraordinary story of Hero Hollis and Rory Frost which is settled in Zanzibar. The author did a splendid work by describing the story of this not-well know island during slavery in the 19th century, showing the unfair game between France and England in order to profit of these workers.For further i [...]

Hero Hollis is adamantly opposed to slavery. Falling overboard and finding herself rescued by a sea captain who himself participates in the slave trade, she finds that all of her zeal and attempts to reform the society of the island of Zanzibar will not only be greatly challenged but largely unsuccessful. The author presents the slavery dilemma realistically and looks at all sides of the question, examining it from the standpoint of both the slaves that are well cared for and provided for, and t [...]

Last summer I became acquainted with M.M.Kaye reader-heaven in The Far Pavilions and Shadow of the Moon. I got a second-hand copy of Trade Wind right afterwards, but I have been saving it up. This summer again I gave way.We are now in a different universe, Zanzibar at around mid nineteenth-century, and our heroine is an American heiress heading there to become reunited with relatives and a man whom she may marry or not (she hasn't quite made up her mind yet). And from very early on the reader an [...]

Update after finishing listening to audio book version.I cried over the half-caste girl's death. Strangely, it wasn't so infectious when I read this book for the first time in Chinese. Maybe it's because the translation isn't very good. Maybe it's because reading is more emotional than written words. Karen Chilton did a very good job in mimicking various accents and tones.--Have read Chinese version a few years ago and reread in the original in the form of audio book while commuting. Listening K [...]

The best thing about this book was the colorful and descriptive history of the island at that time. I enjoyed that part of it, and much of the adventure at the beginning of the story. The love story, however, was disappointing and unsatisfying, in my opinion. Whoever heard of a moral woman ( which this main character was)strong self image ( which she had) choosing between two rapists, and marrying the one who had actually raped HER? Sorry, I don't buy it.

Starting off on a strong note, I found it virtually impossible to put down. The plot itself is captivating, while the characters are brought right off the page. Hero (ironically named) is very easy to relate to. Who knew Therese was such a skunk? When Clayton's true character was revealed by Rory, I was quite shocked. Here I was thinking Clay loved Hero (and only Hero)tsk tsk tsk. Maybe I'm just too trusting of characters in books such as this, but shame on him. This book had four major "parts" [...]

This is one of those books where you feel like giving the heroine a real good smack! In fact nearly all the women in this historical romance are portrayed as silly, gullible and incapable of rational thought processes. Having said that, it's a book full of romance and exotic locations, and the author has incorporated interesting historical events. The attitudes to slavery are brutal and disturbing but representative of the age. I think that if I had read this in my late teens or early twenties I [...]

Could have been an ok book IF IT WASN'T FOR MAKING THE MAIN LOVE INTEREST A RAPIST. I'm sorry but no, I can't get past that. I don't care if he claimed he loved her all along, he raped her. I just could not get on board with this. Did not finish.

This book was entirely not what I suspected yet I loved it anyway. Eventually. Trade Wind was a slow read for me. I can’t remember the last time it took me six weeks to finish a book. And it wasn’t that I was putting it aside to read another book when it started to get dense (which I often do), I just read it sparingly in my free time, slowing chipping away at its many pages. For most of the read, I was impatient (with both the characters and the plot) and waiting for the real action to buil [...]

Trade Wind is one of those delightful books that you can tell belongs to another decade, just from the sentence structure and style of storytelling. I couldn't quite tell while I was reading whether the historical setting was meant to be a device to advance the story, or whether the main characters' lives were an opportunity to write about the political and social situation in Zanzibar. Yes - Zanzibar.Hero Athena Hollis (our heroine) is on her way to her uncle's family in Zanzibar when she manag [...]

I read this soon after reading my favorite MM Kaye book "Shadow of the Moon." I did like this when I first read it, but it hasn't aged as well. This history of Zanzibar is interesting, but the main character, Hero, is kind of an irritating fanatic. Also, as a grown-up, I find the idea of non-consensual sex leading to true love kind of distasteful.